Adjustable support for desks, tables, seats, or the like.



F. L. WELT & W. A. WHITEHOU'SE. ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR DESKS, TABLES, SEATS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED F EB. l2. I9l5- Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET F. L. WELT & W. A. WHITEHOUSE ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR DESKS, TABLES, SEATS, OR'THE LIKE.

.- APPLICATION FILED FEB-[2.19%.

1,300,229. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

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FRANK WELT AND WILLIAM A. wrIIrEIIoUsE;'oFs'o EnvInLri; MASSACHUSETTS; y

JENNIE n.wrIITErIoUsE,'nxEoUrnIx-or SA D WILL A a nII'EHQUsE,nnonnsnn; l ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF or rrrE'wI-roLn menu: TO rrnenrw. HA'ror or fsorrnnjf j j VILLE, vIAs'sAorIUsEr'rs.

ADJUSTABLE surronrron Desire, {IAIBLES,S*EATS, on 'rirn LIKE. I

Application filed February 12, 1915, Serial No. 7,870.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRA K WEL'r and The present invention relates to anfad justable support for desks, especially school desks, tables, seats, chairs or other articles requiring an adjustable support. i x

Among the purposes of our 'invention is to provide an adjustable support which can be applied to any article presenting an under side t6 whichthe support may be secured and without the'necessity of changing or mutilating the article; this especially in connection with school desks, it being our object to provide a support wh ch'may be attached to any desk and especlally to old desks in place of the "supports, either fixed or adjustable, previously employed It, is our further object to provide an adjustable I support of simple construction, presenting a sightly appearance and in which theparts for effecting the adjustment are concealed or in an out-of-the-way position; also, to provide whereby the ad ustment can be ef fected from ,a convenient point and simplybyv the application of, an ordinary wrench or crank. Among our further objects isato providea support which will be self-locking at any point within the range of -1t s'adjustment, and also a support which will be noiseless even when jarred; In other words, a

support in which the adjusting parts are held in a stationary pos1t1on by the weight of the object supported. I

The support can best: be seen and understood by reference tothedrawmgs 111 which it is shown applied to a common type, of schooldesk, and in which 1 Figurel is a front elevation. Fig. 2is a central vertical section.

specificationoi L t-tenemen Supports for Patented 7, Fig; is a section on the line jor the adjustable support is secured. I V In the usual-mode of 'ts application the support has separate spaced uprights 'or legs 3 :parallelly disposed and each consisting of parts or sections 4: and" 5, respectively, slidable on one, another and made preferably of' 1 metal. 10f tliese parts the .parts are stationary parts resting'nponthe floor 6 01! other supporting base to which they, are jse cured, while the parts or sections '5 jslide longltudlnally on the parts a for extending or object supported'by -.it. I

Eachl'of the parts or sections 4 comprises contracting the height 'of the support ,and

Apr. 1919 'jIjig. 2.

Fig.- 4 is a sectionjon the line le of I Fig. 2, and" 1 Fig, 5,;is a section on the line 5450f Fig'.2.,

a I f a c -1 represents the desk or object supported 7 and wh ch presents an under 'side 2 to which i an elongated bodyTlnaderelatively thin in cross sectionbutquiteibroad. j-Thej body 7 is-pr0vidfed with inwardly-turned sideedges, I

housing for receivi-ngthe slidable extension 8' which together with .the' body provide. a

5. By reference to Figs. 2 and 4 itwill bev I seen that the edges 8 turn: inwardly and around the 'sidesi ofthe part 5 by which a a partial telescopic uniong'is eflect'ed' between, the sections, of the'leg and by which they are held in proper alinement with oneanother as thelegis extended or-contraoted,' The retentionpfthe extensible part is further attained "by a web 9 which extends between the inwardly-turned edges 8 ofi the .i stationary section of the leg across the inner side or 'face of the extensible section, 1 This web apartwfrom assisting'in the retentionlof I the extensible section provides alsoafixture to which; is securedaluglO which assists H in the-ad ustment of thesupport as willlaterv l 1 so I be p inedg' In order that the stationary Palrt e tion 4 of the leg may b i J tained firmly on its base in an upright position lts lower endris providedwith integral outward-fiaringwebs or wings 11 whichbear i uponthefloonor "supporting base andfl are flanges or feet 12 which also bear upon the floor and to which they are preferably secured by any suitable fastenings (not shown).

Each of the slidable sections 5 of the support consists of a sliding plate made to prop .erly fit within the housing of the stationary section and slide therein, the union between the two sections being made as snug as possible although such as will permit of the easy extension or retraction of the movable part. In other words the parts 7 8 and 9 form, collectively, a loop surrounding the sliding plate afforded by the upper leg section 5 and within which loop the said section 5 may slide vertically in a telescopic manner, said loop bracing said section 5 and serving to hold it steady at all times so that the leg will be firm and stable in all positions of adjustment, as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. At the top end thereof each of the extensible sections 5 of the leg is provided with integral, inwardly turned flanges 14 to which the desk or object is secured by any suitable fastenings (not shown) which pass through these flanges and fasten into the bottom side of the desk.

Integral with each of the extensible sections 5 and projecting inwardly therefrom is a lu'g 15. v This lug is arranged in vertical alinement with'the lug 10 on the stationary section. Extending through the lugs 10, 15 of the respective sections is an adjusting screw 16. The shank of this screw at the point where it extends through the lug 15 on the movable section is not threaded. The major portion {of the shank of the screw is, however, threaded and has threaded connection with the lug 10 on the section 4. At the top endthereof above the lug 15 each of theadjusting screws is provided with a head '17 by which it may be turned. This head preferably takes the form of a bevel gear.

.Arranged horizontally and journaled to turn in and between the movable sections 5 of the respective legs is a shaft 20. This shaft lies directly above the heads of the adjusting screws and'the axis thereof lies in a plane commonto that occupied bythe axes of the respective screws. Fixed to the shaft and turning therewith are parts by which the'motion of theshaft may be imparted to the'adjusting screws for turning the same as the shaft is turned. These parts take the form of bevel gears 21 which are preferably arranged to cooperate with the gears forming'the' heads of the screws on the inner sides thereof and by their engagement hold the shaft 20 against lateral displacement.

The'sh'aft 20 extendsthrough the slidable extension of one or the other of the legs and the end 22 thereof is fashioned to receive any instrument by which the shaft may be turned. In the drawings the end is fashioned to be turned by a crank 23 applied to it.

The shanks of the adjusting screws are each inclosed, throughout their length, by a guard 25 which is turned around and secured to the lug 15 through which the shank of the screw extends.

In the operation of the device the adjustable location of the desk or object is effected by turning the shaft 20 either in a forward or reverse direction which tends to raise or lower the desk or object supported.

In regard to the adaptability of the support, it is evident that the support may be attached to practically any object owing to the fact that the object simply rests upon the flanged ends of the supporting legs. The support is also easily adaptable to objects of different widths inasmuch as the legs may be spaced any desired distance apart,

this requiring only that the shaft 20 be properly lengthened or shortened to coincide with the spaced positions of the adjustable sections of the legs and that the members or gears which operate the screws be properly set upon this shaft, a variation which can very easily be effected.

The device is absolutely self-locking in any adjusted position, primarily owing to the fact that the shaft 20 and shanks of the screws occupy the same plane. By reason of such arrangement it will be seen that the gears upon the shaft 20 which engage the gears upon the heads of the screws w ill occupy at all times a dead central position and cannot be moved for turning the adjusting screws unless the shaft 20 be turned. In other words, the weight of the object supported or any object that may be placed thereon will have no effect to turn theadjusting screws but only make the set or adjusted position of the object more secure. This can better be appreciated by a consideration that the adjusting screws bear the weight of the desk or object supported through the interposed connections consisting of the gears 21, the shaft 20 hearing these gears and the adjustable sections of the legs within which the shaft 20 is journaled to turn and which bear the object or desk supported.

Inasmuch, also, as the adjusting screws bear the desk or object supported through these movable connections the weight of the desk or object will accordingly tend to hold the otherwise loose members and to take up all lost' motion. Accordingly the support can be adjusted with very little noise or rattle and after the adjustment has been efi'ected the support becomes practically noiseless as against jar or vibration. This is due to the fact that each leg section 4 and 5 consists (as1de from the guard casing 25) of a single integralpa-rt or casting, and that the adjustable leg sections are embraced by loops on the stationary leg sections and Within which," loops said adjustable leg sections have a close sliding fit, so that the legs are firm and adjustment, as

steady in all positions of hereinbefore stated. 4

Having thus fully described our inven tion, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States i An adjustable support'o'f the type specifled, comprising separate spaced uprights} each having a'stationary portion attachable to a base, and an adjustable portion attach able to the part to be supported, the adjust,

able portionof each of the uprights being ceiving and retaining an adjusting screw,

that of the stationary. portion of the upright for receiving the screw being internally threaded, adjusting screws arranged to extend through the parts of said portions of the uprightsmade to receive them and held therebyfagainst{else than endwise adjustnient, said screws being each provided with 1. v

ahead byvvhic'h it may be turned, a'rod'.

mounted upon the adjustable portions of.

a said uprights abovethe heads ofsaid screws, and members carried by said shaft to engage 'the heads of the respective screws for turningthe screwsas -the shaftis turned said I nieimjbers: upon the rod engagingthe heads of the screws in a mannervwhereby therod may be held; against endwise by the heads of the screws. FRANK LyWELT; Y

WILLIAM ArWI-IITEHOUS VVitnessesfr. V v JOHN; E; .R. HAYES, M. E. FLAHnRrY.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedior five cents each, braddressing the Commissioner or Patents Washington. 10.0,

displacement 

